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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — for golf
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com